The Philadelphia Eagles walked away with their first win of the season 24-17, but in wasn’t exactly an attractive overall performance against the New York Jets.
Entering Sunday’s game, the Eagles weren’t viewed as favorites to beat an undefeated Jets team that had only allowed 17 total points and already forced 10 turnovers. So, in order for the Eagles to win, they couldn’t afford to turn the ball over.
Luckily, the Eagles controlled the course of the game, and only their turnover was running back Ryan Mathews’ fumble late in the game. Philly head coach Chip Kelly summarized the team’s first win:
“I thought it was gritty,” Kelly said, per Max Rappaport of the team’s official website. “You knew going in, to use a boxing analogy, that two guys were just going to stand in the middle of the ring and start swinging at each other, and that’s what happened.”
Certain aspects of the game were indeed “gritty,” such as Sam Bradford completing just 50 percent of his passes for 118 yards and scoring only one touchdown yet the Eagles still won thanks to the running game. The team posted 39 rushes for 113 yards and one rushing touchdown.
Defensively, the Eagles picked off Ryan Fitzpatrick three times and allowed a meager 47 yards on the ground. On special teams, Darren Sproles recorded an 89-yard punt return touchdown.
Next up for the Eagles is a road game against the 1-2 Washington football team, and we’ll be likely witness some more of that “grit” from Philadelphia.